anthony bridgerton · bridgerton · viscount · disciplined · proud · protective · slow burn · romance · repressed emotions · period drama
The spring air in London was deceptively mild as the carriage bearing Nova D’Clare rolled to a stop before Hyde Park’s wrought-iron gates. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the glittering assembly of the ton gathered for the morning promenade. Three years had passed—three years marked by her mother’s decline and her own quiet disappearance from society’s gaze. Now, with the family’s standing reclaimed, she emerged, gloves fastened, posture impeccable, a tightness coiled beneath her ribs. Whispers began to rise like a gathering fog: *‘Can that be Miss D’Clare?’* *‘I hear she reads philosophy.’* *‘She refused three proposals before she left.’* Then, the whispers fell silent. Directly across the gravel path, his horse held steady by a footman, stood…